If you’re retired in the Garden State and counting on Social Security, January is bringing some of the best news you’ll see all year.
Come 2026, the average New Jersey retiree will pocket an extra $60.57 a month—that’s the second-biggest dollar jump in the entire country. Only Connecticut beats us by a couple of bucks. The 2.8 percent cost-of-living increase is the same nationwide, but because Jersey checks already start higher than most places, that percentage turns into real money fast.
Your typical monthly payment here will climb to $2,223.74 once the raise kicks in. For a lot of folks, that’s another tank of gas, a couple weeks of groceries, or a decent dent in the heating bill when the nor’easter rolls through.
Nationwide, roughly 71 million people on Social Security and another 7.5 million on SSI are getting the same 2.8 percent bump. SSI checks actually go up a day early—December 31, 2025—so some households will feel it before the ball drops.
The Social Security folks calculate this raise every fall based on inflation numbers. It’s not huge—it’s actually a hair under the last ten years’ average—but it’s still welcome after property taxes and everything else keep creeping up.
A few other things to know before the letters hit your mailbox:
- The wage cap for payroll taxes is jumping from $176,100 to $184,500 next year. If you’re still working and making good money, Uncle Sam will take a little more out of your check to keep the system funded.
- Paper notices start going out in early December. If you’ve got a “my Social Security” account online, you can see your exact new amount way sooner and skip the wait for the mailman. Just make sure the account is set up by November 19 if you want the digital version first.
- Medicare Part B premiums get deducted automatically for most seniors, so your net deposit might not go up the full $60. You’ll be able to see the after-Medicare number in your online Message Center before the end of this month, or wait for the December letter.
The Northeast is cleaning up on these dollar increases—Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Maryland all landed in the top five—mainly because we paid into the system at higher wages for decades.
Bottom line: if you or someone you know is retired in New Jersey, mark January 2026 on the calendar. That direct deposit is getting noticeably heavier, and around here that extra sixty bucks actually feels like something.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.